Interlocking signaling apparatus



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. O. HANSEL. INTERLOOKING SIGNALING APPARATUS. No. 548,161.

Patented Oct. 1.5,.1895.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HANSEL, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

INTERLOCKING SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,161, dated October 15, 1895.

Application filed March 5, 1895. Serial No. 540,622. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known thatI, CHARLES HANSEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Interlocking Sig-' naling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to secure additional safety and certainty in the operation of interlocking signaling apparatus for railways, and it is designed especially for'application to an interlocking machine used at the crossing of first and second class roadsas, for instance, the crossing of a steam-railroad by an electric road although the invention may be applied to interlocking machines generally. At a crossing of a first-class road by an electric or other second-class road it may be found desirable to save the expense of keeping an operator constantly in attendance at the signal-tower and to permit the signals and switches to be operated by the conductor or motorman of the electric car. The signals on the main line would, under these circumstances, be normally set for safety, while those on the electric road would be normally set to danger, and the derail points, switches, or the like, if used, would be correspondingly set. It is desirable to prevent the operators of the second-class road from shifting the signals in advance of an approaching train on the first-class road, and it is also desirable that the operators of the second-class road should be prevented from leaving the signals set in the abnormal position. The first objectI accomplish by providing an electrically-operated lock, which is under the control of the trains on the main line approaching the crossing'and which serves to lock the machine in its normal position and prevent it from being shifted until the train on the main This electric lock may be an electromagnetic mechanism, which operates a locking-bolt engaging with any of the moving parts of the machine, but which is nomally held out of engagement. A track-circuit on the main line is affected by an approaching train, which causes the electromagnetic mechanism to move the lockingbolt and lock the machine. The second object I accomplish by providing a connection between the door of the signal-tower and the not be opened until the machine is set in its normal position. This connection is prefer-- ably a mechanicalone. The door is con- 3 nected through suitable levers with a moving bolt whose movement is obstructed by one of the moving parts of the interlocking machine when that machine is set in the abnormal position, so that after an operator of the secondclass road has entered the tower and has shifted the interlocking machine he cannot again open the door until he has put the interlocking machine back to its normal position.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, Figure l is an end view andpartial section of a standard interlocking machine, showing the mechanical connection with the door of the signal-tower. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of part of tappet shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view showing two of the tappets and locking-dogs of the interlocking machine. Fig. 4 is a side elevation and partial vertical section showing the relation between the electric lock and one of the tappets of the interlocking machine, and Fig. 5 is a diagram of a track-circuit for operating the electric lock.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the interlocking machine shown is provided with verlever 0, corresponding with the tappet A, is

pivoted atd and the tail ends D E are connected by wires 6 with one of the signals oprocker, and, as will also be well understood,

the several levers of the machine are interlocked by means of the tappets and the connecting lockingdogs, establishing the sequence in which the levers must necessarily be moved.

K is the door of the signal-tower. It is connected through the rod j, lever is, and rod Z justed to its normal position the hole will be opposite the end of the bolt and the door can be opened; but when the lever C is shifted to the opposite position the solid face of the tappet will be opposite the end of the bolt and the door cannot be opened. It is also evident that when the door is opened and the bolt L is projected through the tappet the tappet will be locked and the lever cannot be shifted until the door is closed and the bolt retracted. It will thus be seen that if an operator of the second-class road enters the signal-tower and operates the interlocking machine so as to set the signals 'on the main line to danger and those on the second-class road to safety he will by that act lock himself in the tower and will not be able to leave the tower until he has again shifted the levers so as to set the signals on the main line to safety and those on the crossing second-class line to danger, and at the same time operating such switches, derail points, or the like, if any, as are interlocked with the signals.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, N is an electromagnet. Its armature-lever O is pivoted at n and carries at its lower end a bolt P, adapted to engage with a hole 0 in one of the tappets of the interlocking machine, which may be the same tappet as that with which the bolt L engages or a different tappet. The armature-lever O has a horizontal arm carrying a weight Q, which tends to throw the armature away from the magnet and to push the bolt through the hole 0 in the tappet. The magnet N is located in alocal circuit 1 2, provided with a battery R, which circuit is closed at the front points of relays S, located in track-circuits 3 4, provided each with a battery T and extending on both sides of the crossing. Normally the circuits of the batteriesT are closed through the relays S, which attract their armatures and maintain the 10- cal circuit 1 2 closed. The track-circuits 3 4 extend on both sides of the crossing to or beyond the distant signals which guard the crossing. A train approaching in either direction closes one of the circuits 3 4 through the wheels and axles, shunting the battery T of that circuit and de-energizing one of the relays S, whose armature-lever falls back and opens thelocal circuit containingthe lockingmagnet N. The hole 0 is so located inthe tappet that when the interlocking machine is in its normal position that hole will be opposite the end of the bolt Pand an approaching train on the main line will cause the magnet N to release its armature and the falling of the weight Q will drive the bolt Pinto the hole 0, locking the machine, so that it cannot be shifted. In this way it is made certain that the signals cannot be shifted as a train on the main line isapproaching the crossing. It is evident that the locking-bolt operated by the door of the tower and the looking-bolt operated by an approaching train on the main line are independently useful, although it is desirable to put them both on the same machine.

What I claim is- 1. In an interlocking signaling apparatus, the combination with the levers and tappcts, of a bolt adapted to engage with and lock one of said tappets when the door of the signal tower is open and the signaling levers are set to a certain definite position, the said boltbeing prevented from moving when the signaling levers are improperly set, and connections between said bolt and said door, whereby the door to the signal tower will be locked, substantially as set forth.

2. In an interlocking signaling apparatus, the combination with the levers and tappcts, of a bolt engaging an opening in one of the tappcts, and a mechanical connection between said bolt and the door of the signaltower, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination in an interlocking signaling apparatus, of the levers and tappcts, a locking bolt operated by the door of the signal tower and adapted to engage with and lock one of said tappcts, and a second looking bolt controlled electrically and adapted to engage with and lock one of said tappcts, substantially as set forth.

This-specification signed and witnessed this 26th day of February, 1895.

CHARLES HANSEL. Witnesses:

EUGENE CONRAN, W. PELZER. 

